What to know about folic acid

Folic acid is a form of vitamin B9 that can dissolve in water. It is a key ingredient in the making of the nucleic acid that forms part of all genetic material.

It is a complex B vitamin, similar to vitamin B12. Vitamin B9 and its forms carry out the crucial functions of creating more red blood cells, preventing hearing loss, and preserving the brain health of infants.

This MNT article will look at the functions of folic acid, as well as where to find it and the effects of folic acid deficiency

Importance

Folic acid is essential for women who are pregnant.

Vitamin B9 includes both folate and folic acid and is important for several functions in the body.

According to the British Dietetic Association (BDA), folic acid is vital for making red blood cells, as well as:

It is particularly important for women who are pregnant to consume enough folic acid. This helps prevent the fetus from developing major congenital deformities of the brain or spine, including neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly.

Women planning to get pregnant should take folic acid supplements for a full year before conception to reduce the risk of these developments.

Folic acid is thought to play a preventive role in a range of conditions.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Methotrexate is an effective medicine for this condition. However, it is also known to remove folate from the body. This can cause gastrointestinal symptoms for between 20 and 65 percent of people who use the drug.

However, folic acid supplements have been shown to reduce the gastrointestinal side effects of methotrexate by 79 percent. Speak to a doctor for recommendations on how much to take, and how often. 1 milligram (mg) per day is often prescribed.

Who should take it?

Folic acid helps protect the bones and brains of infants.

All women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should consume more folic acid, according to March of Dimes, a research organization focused on preventing deformity and death in newborn infants.

They also recommend that women take folic acid before getting pregnant as well as during the first 4 weeks following conception.

Every woman capable of getting pregnant should be taking daily folic acid supplements. Women over the age of 14 years should take 400 micrograms (mcg) per day, and this should increase to 600 mcg during a pregnancy.

Women should maintain a daily intake of 500 mcg while they are lactating.

The online journal PLOS Medicine wrote in 2009 that females who take folic acid supplements for at least 12 months before becoming pregnant could reduce the risk of having a premature infant by over 50 percent. The researchers concluded:

"Preconceptional folate supplementation is associated with a 50 to 70 percent reduction in the incidence of early spontaneous preterm birth."

Folic acid is essential for the growth of the spinal cord in the womb. It is important that an expectant mother consumes enough folic acid during the earliest stages of development.

This is because the spinal cord is one of the first parts of the body to form in the womb.

Natural sources

Asparagus and egg yolk are two great sources of folic acid.

Dark green vegetables are good sources of folic acid. Be careful not to overcook them, as the folic acid content can drop considerably when exposed to heat.

The Medical Journal of Australia advised in January 2011 that the prevalence of folate deficiency in the country had dropped considerably since introducing the compulsory fortification of wheat flour in breadmaking.

Deficiency anemia

Individuals can develop folic acid deficiency anemia if they do not consume enough folic acid.

As folate is important for producing and maintaining red blood cells, inadequate levels can mean that there are not enough red blood cells to supply the body with a healthy level of oxygen.

This condition can appear in people who require higher quantities of folate and are not taking supplements, such as women who are pregnant and lactating.

Folic acid deficiency anemia can occur in people with underlying conditions, such as sickle cell anemia. It can also affect people with conditions that affect folate absorption. Alcohol abuse or kidney disease can reduce the ability of the body to effectively absorb folate.

Some medications, such as those used for treating rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and seizures, may increase the risk of folic acid deficiency anemia.

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